We are so excited to announce that Veza Global is amongst the 20 finalists for the BC Business The Business of Good Awards!
The second annual Business of Good Awards highlights the achievements of B.C.organizations for their involvement in social responsibility. Organizations are judged based on five categories: Community Involvement, Diversity and Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability, Thought Leadership and Workplace Wellness.
Here is a message from our Founder/CEO Manpreet Dhillon:
“We at Veza Global are so excited to be BC Business for Good finalists. It’s not about being a finalist for this award. It’s about the journey that got us here. The community, the team members, the advisors, all those champions. It’s all about the community that brings us here. My name is Manpreet Dhillon. I started Veza Global in hopes of creating a business for good. I wanted to create impact through business and change and the way that women-owned businesses view how business is done. It can be about profits, it can be about building a large team and it can be about having it with ease and grace. This finalists award for me is so important because it allows me to fulfill the purpose of economic empowerment for all people within the communities we live in and the systems that we are in. So we are super proud here at Veza Global.”
To learn more about the Business of Good Awards and to learn about the other finalists click here!
What do you do when you want leadership to take action but they’re being complacent? What do you do when you’re asking for them to take a stand and they say nothing?
In 2020, we saw people asking for change to happen. We saw people who were looking for organizations to step up and be better leaders and role models. In 2021, accountability for organizations will be the focus. Organizations will need to show that they are taking the action that they said they were going to do. With the recent events on Capitol Hill, our team members are feeling so many emotions. As leaders, it is important to address uncomfortable conversations especially when it is a human rights issue. People are looking to leaders to lead the way through the conversations and to take action. The level of safety people are needing right now is at utmost importance. Individuals are looking to be seen as their foundation is shaken. This safety and security can look like connecting with team members as individuals and creating a compelling future vision with them. The future vision will help to create hope and provide direction and focus.
People are impacted by a multitude of world events happening around us. These events include farmers’ protests in India that are impacting people who have Indian backgrounds especially from a farming family. Their ancestors and family members are standing at the front line asking for justice. Yes, the situation is in India. However, there may be team members who are distracted and feeling different emotions as their family members are marginalized there.
As a leader who may have team members who are impacted, ask them how they are doing. Ask them what is happening with the situation and if their family is safe.
All of these events have an effect on people’s emotional, physical, mental and spiritual body and we need to realize the impact it has on your employee’s and how it might bring back old emotions. Questions such as “do I belong here?” and “what does this mean for us and what does it mean for me” may be coming up in your employee’s minds. It is so important to create a safe place for your employees to be themselves, feel accepted and that they belong in the organization. They need to feel as though they are in an environment where they can share their points of view on subjects and feel safe about it.
How can your organization get involved?
There are different ways your organization can get involved in eliminating systemic racism. Things such as signing pledges and taking part in challenges can help guide your organization and create a safer environment for your employees. These pledges can also serve as conversation starters amongst your teams of ways to make your employees feel more accepted.
The BlackNorth Initiative and the 50-30 Challenge are two ways Veza Global is implementing equity, diversity and inclusion practices into the workplace.
BlackNorth Initiative
This pledge is committed to removing anti-Black systemic racism in Canada and moving towards an equitable future where all Black Canadians and other underrepresented groups will achieve their full potential, free from systemic barriers. The BlackNorth Initiative is composed of senior leaders from all Canadian companies and organizations-both from the public and private sectors.
Why be part of the BlackNorth Initiative?
The persistent inequities across our country underscore our urgent, national need to address and alleviate racial, ethnic, and other tensions and to promote the elimination of anti-Black systemic racism wherever it exists. As leaders of some of Canada’s largest corporations, signatories manage hundreds of thousands of employees and play a critical role in ensuring that inclusion is core to their workplace culture and that their businesses are representative of the communities they serve. Moreover, it has been proven that true diversity is good for the economy; it improves corporate performance, drives growth, and enhances employee engagement.
To learn more about the BlackNorth Initiative and ways your organization can get involved, click here.
50-30 Challenge
This initiative is bringing together the Federal government and organizations, researchers, corporate partners and equity seeking groups to advance gender equity and diversity in leadership across Canada.
The challenge’s meaning refers to two aspirations: 50% gender parity and 30% representations from under-represented groups ( Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ2+ community) on Canadian Boards and senior management.
To learn more about the 50-30 Challenge and to participate click here.
As leaders, we need to see everyone we work with as humans. The need to connect with them should be greater than the fear of saying the wrong thing when events happen both locally and around the world. We need to be able to create a safe space for people to discuss how they’re feeling and ways they can be supported. Speaking up and shedding light when situations occur shows that you care as opposed to leaving it in the dark and not even giving your employees a chance to speak about how it’s affecting them. It’s better to say the wrong thing rather than nothing at all. It at least shows that you care and have the right intentions.
It’s about creating an inclusive environment for your employees. We need to make them feel like they are supported and they belong in the organization. As a leader it is your responsibility to give people a safe space to express their thoughts and opinions. Learning from your employee’s experiences is what creates the diversity of thought in the workplace. Connecting through phone calls, emails and team meetings are ways you can reach out to your staff and start the conversation about current issues that may be affecting them.
Remember, your need to connect with humans should be greater than your fear.
It is important to set the goals, reflect and express gratitude where needed. I wanted to take this time to express my gratitude for all your support this past year. 2020 has been a year of learnings, growth, challenges, awarenesses and impact. For those within the Veza community, many of you have been great supporters in many ways. Our team at Veza, rose to the challenge when the lockdown’s happened, the anti-Asian racism increased, George Floyd was murdered and the #blacklivesmatter movement gained a second wind. We rose through supporting our colleagues through directing individuals in need to the right organizations who had stepped up. We ourselves, took a backseat while we funneled equity, diversity and inclusion work to other disproportionately represented groups who specialized in supporting Black, Indigenous and Anti-Racism. We knew for ourselves that was the right thing to do as it is a marathon, not a sprint. We wanted to remind you all too, exactly that – the work you do is a marathon, not a sprint so the impact you want to make will happen.
We were able to contribute to the conversation and our impact through having the conversations, speaking at workshops/panels, and educating ourselves on how to be better and do better. Through our own audits, advisory, training work, we were able to bring economic empowerment to disproportionately represented groups by impacting 500,000 people in 2020. We thank you for your continued support in sharing our services so that we could create this impact.
In this last year, we have had a number of memorable highlights that kept us going. We relaunched the ASCEND program for skilled immigrants with the Immigrant Employers Council of BC.
We worked in partnership with HR Tech Group to create a Diversity and Inclusion Hub of curated over 300 equity, diversity and inclusion resources. Through this partnership, we audited various tech companies to help them understand where they are on their EDI journey and their path forward.
Our team created a number of resources to help individuals and organizations to be more inclusive.
We worked closely with the Women’s Enterprise Centre Team to support immigrant women entrepreneurs in the province in terms of peer mentoring, funding and resources.
We had the privilege of working with Community Future’s Entrepreneurs with Disabilities program and coached a few of their entrepreneurs on their business ideas.
We worked with some outstanding individuals who are so committed to creating inclusive cultures in various industries from not for profit, tech, real estate, restaurant, government and law enforcement.
What to look forward to in 2021
In the upcoming year, we are looking forward to continuing our equity, diversity and inclusion work and impact. We have some exciting new announcements of programs coming out this year.
Thank you to each of you for helping us make the impact that we are working to make. There are so many people to thank for this journey, each of them contributed in their own way.
To say that this year has been tough for everyone is an understatement. The Covid-19 pandemic has touched every single person in the world and has unapologetically changed everyone’s lives for the foreseeable future. From wearing masks at the grocery store, waving to your friends and family from a two metre distance, and saying “sorry, my wifi cut out” in zoom calls, are all aspects of everyday life that have changed. However, specific groups have been more affected than others. Women and specifically women of colour have been particularly affected by the pandemic. Senior level women are 38 percent more likely to mentor one or more women of colour compared to 23 percent of men. If we let women leave the workforce, this could have detrimental effects on an organization’s profits and overall work culture that we simply can’t afford.
The challenges women face in the workplace have only intensified in the last six months. Many of these women are working mothers and are now working a “double shift” while balancing their careers, children and keeping up with their homes. As a result of this work/life imbalance, one in four women are contemplating leaving the workforce and leaving behind years of hard work. However, this is extremely alarming for corporate America.
Companies risk losing their women in leadership positions and unwinding all of the progress to implement gender diversity in the workplace. However, this presents itself as an opportunity for organizations. This is the time organizations need to invest in their talent to ensure women have the resources and flexibility during these times to ensure that they don’t leave the workplace. Employers need to foster a sense of nurture culture where women have an equal opportunity to fulfill their potential and career goals.
Losing women in the workforce would translate into a significant financial loss to companies. According to the research, company profits and share performance can be almost 50 percent higher when women are well represented at the top. Alongside the profit, women also carry a lot of importance when it comes to creating a positive work culture, employee-friendly policies, and champion racial and gender diversity.
6 Ways Employers can Support Women in the Workplace
Make work more sustainable
Adapting the everyday work-life is essential when supporting women in the workplace. Employers might want to look at the productivity expectations before Covid-19 and adapt them to be more realistic. This might encompass resetting goals, narrowing project scopes or extending deadlines. Another way organizations can support employees is by offering “Covid-19 Days” to give parents a chance to catch-up with their home life or a day to simply recharge.
2. Reset norms around flexibility
The pandemic has made it harder to strike a good work-life balance as employees might always feel like they are “on”. One way to help improve the balance is to establish set hours for meetings and responding to emails. Leaders can also communicate their support for workplace flexibility to help mitigate the feeling of “always being on” and that it is encouraged to take advantage of flexible work options. When employees believe their employers are supportive of their flexible practices, they are less likely to consider downshifting their careers or leaving.
3. Take a close look at performance reviews
Performance reviews are a great tool to help gauge how your employees are doing and rewarding their contributions. However, with the shift to remote work, new challenges have risen and the old criteria before Covid-19 may no longer be applicable to today’s environment. Employers can relieve stress by making the performance criteria more attainable to help prevent anxiety and burnout. Ultimately, this can help with overall performance and productivity.
4. Take steps to minimize gender bias
Throughout this pandemic, biases against women have been amplified and have shown up in new ways. Either kids playing in the background of zoom calls or co-workers assuming their colleagues are doing less work due to taking care of their children while working from home. Since there is less visibility into the day-to-day there leaves room for bias to creep in.
In order to mitigate the biases women face, managers need to ensure that their employees are aware of them. Employers should speak publicly about the impacts of biases, especially during the pandemic. Bias training and tracking promotions between genders is a good way to track if men and women are being treated fairly.
5. Adjust policies and programs to better support employees
Due to the pandemic and its changes to “normal life”, organizations have extended policies and benefits to help support their employees. Resources for mental health and homeschooling are examples of what organizations have in place to help with the new adjustments. As an employer, ensure that all your employees are made aware of the resources that are available to help them during these challenging times. Organizations should also determine if their resources and benefits are addressing the employee’s needs and reallocate time and money for the challenges your employees might need support in.
6. Strengthen employee communication
When shifting to remote work, communication with your employees is critical to ensure that they still feel connected with their managers and peers. One in five employees have consistently felt uninformed or in the dark during the Covid-19 pandemic. Leaders and HR teams should have regular communication and be empathetic towards their employees to make sure all team members feel valued and understood. It has been shown that this practice can reduce anxiety and build trust among teams.
Ensuring that women in the workforce don’t fall through the cracks is essential during the Covid-19 pandemic. All practices have to adapt to these unprecedented times to allow for more flexibility and understanding in the workplace. We have to ensure that we strive for gender equality in the workplace and that we have women paving the way for the younger generations. We have to look at each other as human beings and not just robots that work from 9 to 5. This pandemic is something that no one has ever experienced before and we are all learning how to maneuver through it the best way we can. Organizations need to adopt more flexible and accommodating practices to make sure all their employees can thrive in this new environment.
Our current socio-political climate has shined a glaring light on the necessity for large scale change across organizations of any size when it comes to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Most companies however, face the same issue they always have when working with qualitative features of social systems.
How do you make things tangible?
When implementing change in an organization, it can be hard to find a starting point, especially when it comes to tackling social systems in the workplace. However, being able to add tangible value to these concerns can make for a good start. Ways to make EDI tangible is using metrics to quantify the levels of engagement in EDI in the organization. Using metrics will help you find a starting point in your organization’s journey and will help your managers stear in the right direction. The best part of using metrics is that they can be used across all of your organization’s departments and can act as a benchmark for your EDI journey.
How do you justify the time, effort and investment in ways that make business sense?
Organizations are always going to ask themselves “Is this even worth it.” The answer is yes. Diverse companies make better decisions 87% of the time, are 35% more likely to have above average profits, are more productive, innovative and attractive to investors and customers. Employees of diverse backgrounds and abilities can reduce risk by 30% while improving innovation by 20%. Implementing diverse practices makes business sense. Having EDI fosters more creativity to help with problem solving and can ultimately improve an organization’s bottom line through breakthrough innovations. Not only can it improve your organization’s productivity, it can also impact the overall culture in a positive way that makes your employees feel safe and included to share their perspectives.
Organizations have always had trouble dealing with these questions even in a broader people sense, now including new budget items around EDI need to be justified and warranted.
This is why industry leaders today put an increasing emphasis on measuring, analyzing and implementing a data-driven, quantifiable approach to EDI, giving it the same level of analytical thought as other technology-heavy functions like finance and supply chain.
The problem here is the difficulty in accurately and meaningfully quantifying these unique, ambiguous and subjective features that set EDI apart from most other functions. Most small and medium enterprises that lack the technology, systems and data aren’t even sure of where to begin. Hopefully, this article will help with that first step.
EDI metrics can be broadly classified into 3 categories – Diagnostic, Tracking and Prediction.
Diagnostic metrics are the most fundamental ones that directly determine the success of the other categories. These parameters help explore, quantify and shine a light on the potential focus areas for interventions. Some are common across most organizations, such as:
Diversity ratios
Employee engagement and retention metrics
Hiring and recruitment pipeline metrics
Compa ratios and benefits
Standardized exit interview data
Employer brand.
Others would be more specific to each organization based on its location or industry. For example, language might be an important diversity metric in European offices, while race and ethnicity might be more crucial in North America. The purpose of these metrics is to provide a blueprint and starting point for your organization, the data of which can then be used to start asking the right questions.
Once these questions have been asked, Tracking metrics come into play. How do you know whether your questions are accurate and what is your frame of reference? What are the standards to which you hold each parameter? Benchmarking plays a key role in this stage to provide each organization with the context and guidance it needs. When interventions are decided based on your diagnostic metrics, tracking parameters would include measures like participation rates in training programs, membership rates in ERGs and mentorship groups, and employee feedback data. These metrics will help steer the course of your interventions and adapt them to best suit your organization’s needs. Having a benchmark allows your managers to have a starting point in the EDI journey.
The final and most challenging category is prediction metrics. These can be thought of as return on investment, but aren’t simply limited to financial returns. In order to understand how well your interventions are doing, you must most often draw insights against time. Trends across months or years help provide a bird’s eye view of the progress being made by the organization and in turn help predict the most probable outcome. These predictions can be as simple as a regression line that predicts the re-hire budget saved through diversity retention, or as intricate as complex supervised learning models that predict which employees are at a risk of getting disengaged. A major variable to keep in mind here is that ethics and moral decision-making must always trump the ever increasing need for more accurate information.
When starting or continuing your organization’s EDI journey, finding that starting point can be the most challenging and daunting part. This is where Veza helps. Veza and its team of EDI experts will help guide your organization through its EDI journey through our Assessment. The Assessment gives your organization the necessary metrics on all aspects of the business to ensure that your EDI journey is measured. Our Maturity Model is used to gauge where your organization is on its diversity journey. The model helps identify the level of investment the organization is making to attract and retain underrepresented groups as employees, suppliers, or customers.
To get a snapshot of how your organization is doing for inclusivity, Veza offers a free Self Assessment. This free Self Assessment will give your organization an insight of areas for improvement in its EDI journey. However, if after taking the free Self Assessment is leaving you wanting more, you can take the plunge into Veza’s Full Assessment.
As we have heard many times we are in unprecedented times. The world is watching as the United States elects its next President. It will impact what happens with organizations and how individuals show up. The current election is showing the polarization that exists within our societies and communities. This current election is calling for a deep reflection as individuals and as a nation as to what will you stand up for? What do you believe in? What are you willing to let happen in your world? These questions are ones we should be asking ourselves on a regular basis as organizations and as individuals.
Many organizations are taking the stand to remain non-partisan while they want to support their staff and their resiliency stocks this time. Staff are challenging the status quo by asking to display the pride flag, examining the organizations for their commitment to equality and equity of BIPOC and asking leadership to take a stand and in some cases, any stand.
When staff are challenging the status quo, in reality they want to know they are safe and if the organization is inclusive. Employees want to make sure that their values are aligned with the ones of their company. They want to know their voice matters and they matter. It’s important to make them feel accepted no matter who they are.
The beauty to organizations is that they are finding out what culture their staff want. They are also discovering what supports are needed to be more inclusive. This presents itself as an opportunity to organizations to reflect on their inclusivity practices. When employees are taking a stand for what they believe in this election, employers will get an insight on what culture they want to create to better support their staff. Most of all, they are finding out what will support their employees and their resiliency.
Resiliency is key when supporting your teams during change. Resiliency can be the saving grace from burn out.
4 Ways To Build Resilience in Your Team
Checklists and Guides
During times of change, you don’t want to be adding more stress to your employees. Therefore, creating checklists and guidelines can help employees have something to turn to when feeling overwhelmed. Having a standard operating procedure can help newer staff learn the procedures that are set in place.
Training
When on-boarding new employees, it’s important for them to feel comfortable and included in the organization. Having team meetings to get to know each other and develop an understanding for one another is a great way to promote cohesion amongst the team.
Debriefing Sessions
During turbulent and stressful situations, it’s important to have debriefing sessions with your team. This way everyone can reflect and explain the highlights and the areas of improvement for when the next challenge may arise. Encouraging this team discussion will promote a more supportive and inclusive environment for all staff.
Work Culture
The final piece of the puzzle for resilience. Work culture. Managers should display positive behaviours in order to create an inclusive environment for all. In an inclusive environment, employees should feel safe to speak up, share bad news, reach out for help and thank their colleagues for their expertise.
This is the time to think about inclusive culture. To think, plan and strategize on how to be more inclusive. No matter the outcome of the upcoming election, it is important and vital for your employees to feel supported and safe at their workplace. Creating a sense of belonging amongst all departments and positions will put your employees at ease during these turbulent times.
Setting up an inclusive strategy for your organization is the first step into creating a sense of belonging and safety to your employees of diverse backgrounds and abilities. However, knowing where to start can be a daunting task. This is where Veza helps. Veza and its team of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) experts will help guide your organization through its EDI journey through our Assessment. The Assessment will help you pinpoint areas of improvement with actionable recommendations to help kickstart your organization’s EDI journey.
To get a snapshot of how your organization is doing for inclusivity, Veza offers a free Self Assessment. If you’re left wanting more after the Free Assessment, your organization can take the plunge into Veza’s Full Assessment.
Our neighbours to the south have taken center stage in global media yet again. With dramatic imagery of riots and burning building over the racially motivated crime and police brutality filling our news feeds and headlines, there is a need for pause and need for Canadian reflection. Are we as innocent as we would all like to think?
Since the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020, racial violence has been at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Canadians, and subsequent media outlets, have taken a unique stance on the violence south of the border. Thirty-seven million of us have sat on our high horses and looked down at our closest ally and trading partner, acting as if we have nothing to hide and could not possibly be as blatantly racist and violent as them. We could not be more wrong. The media has painted the United States as a chaotic and foreign place in the Canadian press, capturing every minute of the riots and exclusively covering US-based human rights violations. The states are so crazy; how could they possibly not have this under control? How can their people stand for this?
We couldn’t possibly allow such heinous crimes here, right? Think again.
We have collectively turned a blind eye to the national human rights crisis right in our backyard. That is right. A national human rights crisis in Canada that is drawing international attention from other United Nations members. Our indigenous women and girls are being attacked at an alarming rate, and no one seems to care. That is unless you are one of the multiple organizations and governing bodies that seem to be sweeping this under the rug. This is not a small problem, nor a new one. Statistics Canada conducted a study in 2009 and found that Indigenous women were three times more likely to report violent crimes from either strangers or domestic violence. That is if they can report it; that same study also found that Indigenous women are seven times more likely to be a victim of homicide than other racial profiles. This systemic racism is also prevalent in, you guessed it, our police force. Even though Indigenous women make up only 6% of Saskatchewan’s population, they account for up to 60% of the missing person’s cases.
These staggering statistics have two possible explanations. The first being that these crimes are racially motivated and are carried out as hate crimes against the Indigenous population. The second, and much more chilling, is the realization that these women are specifically targeted as victims of violent crimes because the perpetrator believes that they can evade prosecution for their crimes as it is highly likely that the victim will be discriminated against in the judicial system. Perpetrators are selecting Indigenous women as victims because society has proven that we do not seek justice for these women with the same conviction as we do victims of other races. And do not think that Justin Trudeau has this crisis under-wraps. Humanity organizations have brought the issue to the United Nations Council. Twenty-four separate countries voiced concern for Canada’s indigenous women. Few of which, including New Zealand and Switzerland, have called for a decisive plan to be made to protect these Canadian women. Canada did not acknowledge the need for change.
Further, three different international human rights organizations have made trips to Canada to at least in part investigate the crisis. Yet we, as a country, continue to show that we are indifferent to the crisis. Our national hubris prefers to demonize the United States for their appalling lack of government intervention about the racial human rights crisis. At least their people recognize the problem. This national human right crisis has hypocritically been skipped by many of the major news outlets as they cover the soap opera in the United States. We have ignored this messy crisis, resisting accepting that everyone has a part to play in this problem.
This hypocrisy can be seen in the workplace. Our workplace culture must change if we are to save our Indigenous women. We must become more accepting and demonstrate our commitment at a corporate level in our hiring, diversity strategies, and our corporate social conscience to investigate any potential connections to the violence. Organizations must ensure that they are not unknowingly supporting this crisis financially. We must advocate as companies and people to change our culture in and out of the office and prioritize these women’s safety. It is the corporation’s responsibility to educate themselves on the battle’s Indigenous women face in the workplace.
Leveraging a more inclusive recruitment process can be the first step in creating a more accepting environment for these women. Things like adding a wage range, creating a buddy system or reviewing company policies are steps in the right direction to ensure we are being inclusive to everyone, especially Indigenous women. Having the opportunity to thrive in the workplace would give these women the chance to escape poverty and violence in their communities.
Our Indigenous women need the support and protection of their nation. Canadians need to do better. Our systemic racism has landed many Indigenous women in inescapable poverty and precarious situations that put them at high risk for violence. We need to give these women the ability to escape these dangerous situations through education and work opportunities. Support from companies and people alike to make Canada the inclusive place we claim to be could not be more needed right now for the women who started our nation
A significant factor in the crisis is the failures of outdated police procedures that do not consider the alarming and disproportionate rate at which our Indigenous women are going missing. We need to ensure that crimes are being investigated with the same tenacity concern as any seemingly connected violent crimes. These are not random attacks. Our judicial system is failing our Indigenous women through deep-rooted racism and marginalization. These attacks are happening at such an alarming rate that we can not stop at jurisdiction lines. This is a problem across the nation, and our law enforcement procedures fail to consider this.
Canada has an immediate need for a coordinated nationwide effort and action plan to stop this human rights crisis in our own homes. We need it, and we need it now. We can not continue to look at the United States as if we have any moral high ground. We are allowing the slaughter of an entire peoples right under our noses yet shaming the United States and holding rallies with thousands of people for a single man thousands of kilometres away. But we turn our backs when our people need us? We need to show that this is the news we care about and the policies we all need to care about before it is too late.
It is already too late for hundreds of Indigenous women and their families.
The summer of 2020 was like no other. For the first time in years, the world came together as we watched the Novel Coronavirus halt the world that never stops in its tracks. Millions stood paralyzed as they watched the virus sweep its way across the globe taking life as we knew it, with its undiscriminating claws. Meanwhile, our heroes in scrubs suited up for the battle of their careers. Weddings were lost, hard-earned graduations robbed, lives were stolen. Coronavirus has had devastating effects on our economies, societies, and, importantly, our mental health. Everyone’s individual experience coping with the COVID19 pandemic has resulted in a range of long term cognitive effects of the trauma we have experienced. Both the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry and Journal of Affective Disorders has published findings linking the pandemic to increased rates of mental illness and the need for safe crisis intervention. People have reported increased anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health disturbances.
What is Emotional Exhaustion?
Though you may not feel as though what you are experiencing is accurately described by one title or disorder, you may still feel generally unwell. Emotional exhaustion is the perpetual feeling of being emotionally drained or worn out. It is caused by times of significant life stress or change, like a global pandemic. Emotional exhaustion can present in many different forms, varying person to person; the following are common exhaustion signs:
● Changing Moods (anxiety, depression, apathy, lack of motivation, etc.) ● Difficulty thinking critically ● Changes in appetite ● Heart palpitations ● Poor self-esteem ● Poor work performance ● Social Withdrawal ● Headache ● Fatigue
Though traditionally reserved for those in high-stress situations or careers such as front line workers, the effects of emotional exhaustion have been seen in the majority of people as they navigate the stress of the pandemic. Emotional exhaustion can affect one’s workplace performance as those suffering will withdraw from friends and coworkers and feel alienated from others around them. It is no surprise that those suffering will have a measurable reduction in performance standards at work due to the negativity clouding their judgment and self- confidence.
During difficult times when we can not control our surroundings, we must be mindful of the impacts of trauma and exhaustion on us. Healing and recovering from emotional exhaustion can be a months-long process, especially given the pandemics enduring nature. Be mindful of not only yourself but of your friends and family as they too endure their stresses and experience
During COVID19. Recovery from emotional exhaustion can involve multiple methods, such as the following:
● Reduce added stress ● Emphasize a healthy lifestyle ● Maintain a healthy work-life balance ● Connect with others such as friends, family, and professional help ● Change your attitude
Emotional exhaustion alone may not seem concerning. We all feel burnt out from time to time. But during times of unrest, those burnt out moments can seem never-ending. It is important to recognize emotional exhaustion before it can lead to more severe health concerns such as a compromised immune system. The pandemic has proven itself to be here for longer than anyone initially thought. We must learn to adapt to the increased stress in our everyday lives and cope with our physical and mental well-being threats. Stay safe; stay together.
Leonord, J. (2018, October 24). Emotional exhaustion: Causes, symptoms, risk factors, and prevention. Retrieved September 15, 2020, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323441
It was a historic day, August 26th, 2020. It is days like this that the energetic shift in the world is felt. Where the butterfly effect becomes apparent where we know that one action can have a ripple effect in other parts of the country and the world. It was the day that we saw individuals that millions look up to take a stand to create change in the world. It was the day we saw games in the NBA, WNBA, MLS and MLB canceled as the players felt more needed to be done in the #blacklivesmatter revolution.
This day showed us that a decision, an action, taking a stand can matter. It doesn’t matter the size of your platform, you can still create change. You do have a responsibility if you do have a platform to create change.
Over the last few months, I have heard clients tell me that their employees said that the black lives matter movement had no place in their business while others called out their leaders and team members for not doing enough.
This is time to know we all have a part to play in doing something. We all have a part to take action as it is a human issue, not a political issue. Humans are being killed because they are being profiled, they are being judged for their exterior, someone is forgetting that the blood that runs through the veins of the victim is the same color as the blood that runs through the veins of the murderer.
I grew up with the uttermost respect for authority as that is what I was taught. People with authority included those in uniform or positions of power. Time and time again, we hear where people are abusing their power. It is not each of them. There are many of them who are keeping the communities safe. Many of them are doing the best that they can. The issue is the ones who have a hatred for another group of people, those are the ones I am talking about. That hatred is then passed along to their children, their neighbors and their friends. Hatred spreads the same as love. It can be a poison that is fed on fear of the unknown, the fear of someone being different, the fear of feeling out of control.
This same hatred and fear shows up in our workplaces, in the bias that are held, the unequal power structures and systemic oppression. The solution to this fear and hatred is multi-faceted. It is education. It is the awareness. It is acknowledging and calling out when something or someone is violating the human rights of another. It is creating systemic change in how we challenge the economic structures that further create inequality. It is bringing justice in the name of those who can not fight for themselves. It is showing up each day to do better and be better.
What I am saying has all been said before. I know. I just hope that through reading this one person will realize that there is room for improvement in their own lives. That they can educate themselves on how they may be perpetuating racism or where their bias is when it comes to who they interact with, hire, and promote. That they realize they have a voice that they can use to speak up for those who can not speak up for themselves. That they realize that they can give an opportunity that does not exist for someone else as they would never have access to it. These changes are what will bring justice, and make August 26th a day where the ripple effect was felt for generations in the future.
We all know that diversity of thought in teams is important. The problem is, most of the discussion around diversity and inclusion happens at a high level. People talk about changing an organization’s culture as if it is an easy task. In fact, it is as simple as fixing the office printer, a labyrinth of increasingly frustrating challenges.
That is the focus of this article, to highlight simple changes that will negotiate a more inclusive company culture. Throughout this article, discrimination is referred to as the bad habit that humanity has developed over centuries that we are trying to correct in a few short years. Fixing every bad habit begins with one simple step: a desire to move forward. Implementing these suggestions to your everyday office function can lead to a happier, more productive, and innovative team without busting the office budget.
Recognize Your Own Bias
We all have our bias. Yes, even you reader. Bias are actually a great thing that every human has. Your bias is a learned memory. Implicit bias is a learned behavior. The recognition that hunting a deer versus a bear was a safer choice is an example of a learned bias transmitted through generations. This concept of selection bias was an adaptive strategy for generational survival. We learned how to hunt and gather the correct foods to feed ourselves. This is the root of where bias came from. (Abrams, Abigail, “Yes, Impostor Syndrome Is Real. Here’s How to Deal With It”, Time Magazine, June 2018)
Fast-forwards a few hundred centuries and these biases are still present in our society with good and bad implications. Biases are ingrained in us to help us make every decision, without even being conscious of it. The only way to control your bias is to be aware and recognize it. The more educated you and your team become about bias the more cognisant you can be of correcting the habit.
Break Down Traditional Organizational Structure
In today’s organizational structure is segmented to produce solutions and products in the most efficient way possible. But how often does the finance team and the human resource team talk, let alone collaborate? How often do top directors and front-line workers chat about strategic decisions? Often we miss what an outside opinion can do because they are not deemed relevant to the task. You never know what knowledge and experience someone has until you ask them. Start to take initiative to break down the traditional structure and learn from different people in your organization. They may just teach you a thing or two.
3. Lead By Example
How many times have we listened to a CEO preach about diversity and inclusion, but the board of directors looks like a game of spot the difference?
First, a point of correction, looking at a board of directors will not let us know what diversity of thought they are bringing to the table. We can not know what the experiences, backgrounds and skill set of an individual is based on what they look like.
Addressing the need for equity, diversity and inclusion can start with a single person, making a single difference. Diversity of thought is about the people you surround yourself with. Thus, the most obvious way to diversify is to bring in new members with different perspectives and experience. Presenting more opportunities to people of culturally diverse backgrounds such as education and promotions to provide the opportunity and ability to champion more diversity across the organization. Diversifying educational workshops offerings and guest speakers are phenomenal methods to role model diversity within your organization efficiently. Hiring speakers from diverse backgrounds will also broadcast their messages and stories of underrepresented groups in the corporate environment.
Creating a more inclusive work environment can begin with something as simple as making an effort to use progressive language to role model the standard you hold your team to. Small gestures such as recognizing other people’s cultural celebrations and practices can make a team member feel more welcomed into a workspace. If you are unsure of how best to make your team member feel comfortable and welcome, simply asking and starting a dialog will lead you to the correct answers opposed to assuming incorrectly.
Offer Flexible Workspaces
Whether you are getting the kids to soccer practice, or have a weekend getaway booked, everyone’s schedules are hectic. The diversity in our teams also means that we all have different schedules and priorities. Offering flexibility to your employees can create a happier and more inclusive workplace. Remote work opens the opportunity to succeed and create a healthier work life balance by allowing employees to work when and where they are comfortable.
Despite major advancements in workplace cultures, parents still often struggle to raise a family and maintain a career. Women are especially susceptible to feeling the social pressure both financially and socially to quit her career to raise their family. Removing this pressure by allowing parents to choose when they work creates a more inclusive environment because parents who would have previously quit their jobs can succeed at both raising a family and their professional career. Encouraging employees to utilize a flexible schedule to allow for family duties will result in happier and more productive employees as they can work when they feel they are most productive. No one needs to explain how much more a happy employee is worth opposed to a new one.
Communication, Communication, Communication
If you have heard this line once, you have heard 1000 times. It is the root of all success and the downfall of all failures. Communication. When managing for diversity, good and frequent communication is the key to blending a diverse team together. Convey the diversity of your team not just to the world but to your own team. Working to communicate the diversity of your team unify their differences to create a cohesive team. Broadcasting success stories of other employees in leadership, educational and mentoring opportunities available to people of culturally diverse backgrounds can elevate and inspire your team to achieve their personal and career goals.
Thank you for reading and we at Veza Global hope you found this educational and entertaining. Please let us know what you think of this and other blog posts at hello@vezaglobal.com.
Veza Global is an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) organization advocating for equity and equality for underrepresented groups with a focused lens on the leadership journey of people of culturally diverse backgrounds.
Diversity of Thought and Inclusive Culture are the pillars of the approach that Veza takes to build capacity for organization to execute on their EDI strategy. Veza offers EDI Assessment and Audits, EDI strategy development and Inclusive Leadership Training and Coaching.
Through Veza’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Assessment tool, companies can identify under an hour where they are on the EDI Maturity Model and receive a list of detailed recommendations and actionable next steps for their EDI strategy to move forward to a more inclusive organization.
Join us as we talk about the ways we can incorporate both our left and right brains – the creative and analytical approach – to our work, even if we have never considered ourselves “creatives” or “storytellers.” Everyone has a story to tell, either about their work, personal lives, history, culture, or the way they see the world. It’s our superpower and so many of us keep it hidden because, at some point in our lives, we were told we aren’t smart enough, creative enough, or capable enough. In this chat, we will discuss tangible steps on how to cultivate more thought leaders and empower them to tell their stories and speak from their lived experiences.
Stephanie Raghubar (She/Her)
Stephanie Raghubar has almost eight years of extensive experience in the market research field in Canada, analyzing and bringing data to life through interpretation and visualization.
She has led partnerships with Procter & Gamble, Jamieson Wellness and other consumer goods companies, designing strategic solutions to complex business problems.
After taking an extended backpacking trip across South and Southeast Asia, Stephanie has pursued a career as a freelance Market Research & Data Expert, providing analyses, guidance and presentations on largely survey and advertising data. Stephanie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics.
Stephanie currently spends her time between various places in India, and her hometown near Toronto.
Jaspreet Kular (She/Her)
Jaspreet has a strong diverse background in International Relations, specializing in Geopolitics and Connectivity, Immigration (corporate, family class, student, and humanitarian streams); and Human Resources Compliance. Currently, she is working on a PhD research proposal examining the tactics and images used by organizations for fundraising drives to benefit populations of the Global South.
The objective of her proposal is to generate images and narratives that disrupt the uneven and colonial power dynamics between the Global North and Global South, without negatively impacting target amounts for donations. The assumption that drives this proposal is that reifying stereotypes of the Global South hinders progress for long-term solutions whereas community empowerment, through narrative and image shifts, could lead to locally-developed, locally-led, sustainable solutions. Jaspreet originally hails from Vancouver and currently resides in the Netherlands.
Ishu Kler (She/Her)
Ishu Kler is a photographer and Social Media Manager at Veza Global. She currently owns and operates a freelance photography company called Ishu Kler Creative where she specializes in branding, portrait and event photography. Born and raised in Vancouver, B.C., her love and passion for photography led Ishu to travel and live in New Delhi, India, where she obtained her Diploma in Photography. She also travelled to Costa Rica in 2015, where she obtained her Certificate in Documentary Photography from Photographers Without Borders.
“My love for stories came from my love of travelling to new places, learning new things and hearing of all the experiences people across the world have had and live. Diversity and inclusion has always been something I have been passionate about, and through my work at Veza I have been able to learn so much about the power that inclusion and belonging have. As a photographer, one of the most rewarding experiences I have is being able to bring out the inner-confidence of my clients. It’s more than taking a photo, it’s listening and working through self-doubt, confidence and my client’s past experiences in their lives. Diversity and inclusion is so important in my work, and I want for people to be able to know that the sky is the limit, regardless of what background they come with.”
Jodi Dodd (She/Her)
Jodi is a passionate writer, editor, and organizer with high attention to detail. Committed to clear communication and integrity, Jodi works with individuals and organizations who are making the world a better place, helping them express their essence and reach more people.
Her experiences in travel, working with equity-deserving communities in other countries, holding space for healing, and studying human behavior for over 15 years have given her a compassionate perspective and open mind to bring more inclusion, belonging, and diversity of thought to all her projects at Veza Global and beyond.
Kelsey Kalyn (She/Her)
Kelsey is a passionate Multimedia Designer & Communications Specialist with a diploma in Multimedia Production and over nine years of diverse design experience in different areas of the world including roles within multinational in-house marketing teams Microsoft and Technetix, marketing agencies and freelance. These experiences have led her to develop strong use of design principles, skills in Adobe Creative Cloud, knowledge in motion graphics and video editing, and knowledge in creating effective communication for a wide range of audiences and cultures.
Currently she is finishing a Bachelor in Professional Arts Major in Communication Studies, a degree program that compliments her multimedia production background with theory and research from the communications field, allowing her to apply her expertise within national and international mass media and communication contexts.
Shreya Seghal (She/Her)
Shreya is currently an IDEA+B Consultant with Veza Global, and passionate about creating inclusive environments for everyone. Shreya has spent 6 years in the Technology industry, focusing on Talent, Operations, and DEI. Shreya’s purpose in life is to help others by making their lives easier and ensuring everyone is treated fairly along the way.
Shreya looks for opportunities to improve processes, and create efficiencies everywhere she goes, with the IDEA+B lens on everything. Most recently, Shreya worked with an edu-tech company, where she was able to blend her passion for creating equal opportunities and inclusive environments for everyone by owning Talent Operations and leading their IDEA+B initiatives.
Shreya has also taken a coaching course through the International Coaching Federation, and loves to mentor her peers. At Veza, Shreya contributes to process improvement and People & Culture related projects.
Manpreet Dhillon (She/Her)
Ranked #15 globally on the 2020 EmPower Ethnic Minority Future Leaders list, Manpreet Dhillon is the Founder, Veza Global. Over the past 15 years, Veza Global has built and supported the implementation of IDEA-B throughout all levels of an organization by applying research-based organizational maturity models and utilizing proprietary assessment technology developed from our international experience. Manpreet has over 20 years of leadership, coaching, human resources, and community development expertise. She focuses on creating systemic change to address institutionalized inequalities through representation from the communities being served.
Manpreet serves as an Ambassador with the Women’s Enterprise Center and as a past Business Coach for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities program. Veza has worked with several notable organizations including UN affiliate: Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, UN Women, HR Tech Group, Immigrant Employers Council of BC and Terramera. Manpreet has also led a trade mission of women entrepreneurs to Croatia – one of the first held by a private company to further the mission of increasing export by women entrepreneurs. She has held positions as a board member of Canada India Education Society, liveBIG Society, British Columbia Institute of Technology Alumni Board of Directors, past Board Member of Royal Roads University, and has served on various arts and health boards.
Manpreet received her Masters in Organizational Management as is a Certified Human Resources Professional, Certified in Gender Mainstreaming and Certified Internal Auditor and is a settler, born in Canada with parents from India. She is a contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Soul, and a contributing author to Forbes, Thrive Global, and CHRP People Talk.
Andisheh Fard (She/Her)
Andisheh is an IDEA-B Consultant at Veza Global. She has experience in community engagement, facilitation, anti-racism, anti-oppression, human rights, as well as mass atrocity prevention and response. She holds a Master of Arts in Human Rights Studies from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science with International Relations from the University of British Columbia. She has worked with and volunteered for numerous organizations, including Impact North Shore, Simon Fraser University, the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICRtoP), Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, UN Women in Afghanistan, and the North Shore Women’s Centre.
Andisheh was born in Tehran, Iran and is a visitor on the unceded and ancestral territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh). For Andisheh, inclusion means having a sense of belonging and freedom to be your true self without fear. As an EDIB constant at Veza Global, Andisheh works with clients to embed Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging across their operations.
John Kehinde Atoyebi (He/Him)
John is an IDEA-B consultant with Veza Gobal. He has over ten years of experience in the justice sector. He worked in a private law firm, as a government counsel and in the Nigerian judiciary, first as a researcher and later as a judicial officer. He led diverse teams in the justice sector and collaborated with relevant stakeholders to promote and protect the human rights of the people. In addition, John has experience in community mobilization, and he has worked with several organizations and communities to create peaceful and inclusive societies.
John is a human rights activist and has taught graduate students International Human Rights Law in the University. He has attended several human rights training in prestigious institutions, including the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria and the Lucerne Academy for Human Rights Implementation, University of Lucerne, Switzerland.
John holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in law. He was called to the Nigerian bar. He is also a graduate of the Master in Intellectual Property and Development Policy programme, jointly organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Korean Intellectual Property Office and the Korea Development School of Public Policy and Management.
He is an experienced public affairs analyst, a policy researcher and analyst, and a community mobilizer. He is a leadership expert who became exposed to leadership as a teenager. He has since participated in numerous youth-centred programmes and initiatives locally, nationally, and internationally while also providing leadership.
He is a certified IDEA-B professional. His principal motivation for joining Veza Global was to contribute to creating a world where humans will live daily in the consciousness of the truth of their shared Humanity— the truth that every one of us is sacred, has dignity, and has the right to wellbeing in this human experience. As a consultant to Veza Global, he Provides strategies and advice on how to help organizations embed Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in their operations.
To John, inclusion is means that no one is denied the right to enjoy the collective human experience.
John is a visitor to the unceded and ancestral territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tseil-Waututh Indigenous peoples of Canada.
Ramya Kandhasamy (She/Her)
Ramya is a Leadership Training Consultant at Veza. A Change Agent, Ramya has spearheaded several transformational initiatives around strategy, KPIs, marketing, hiring, company culture, processes, employee engagement, and more.
Creating an accessible and inclusive work environment is at the core of every leadership role Ramya has essayed. Her work has helped mitigate bias in business planning and strategy across multiple organizations. She has nurtured innovation through diversity of thought while cultivating a climate for progressive feedback. All this enabled Ramya to build high-performing and super-engaged teams of 70+ individuals.
Her passion for enabling organizations to thrive led her to leave behind a rewarding 11-year career at Yahoo to start her own Strategy Consulting business in 2021 as a new immigrant in Sweden.
Michelle Casavant is mixed heritage, French, Cree-Metis, and Irish from central Saskatchewan. She has been a visitor on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil Waututh people since 1997. Michelle has a background and formal training in fine arts, education and law. As a member of the urban Indigenous community in Vancouver for 20 years she has been actively involved in breaking down barriers for Indigenous peoples and students and building bridges with non-Indigenous peoples and communities.
Michelle’s work in Aboriginal law began 15 years ago. She has worked for the federal government for 10 years in numerous roles involving Indigenous peoples and communities: she was part of the legal team at the Department of Justice that conducted the Independent Assessment Process hearings for residential school survivors, she has been a Negotiator with Crown-Indigenous Relations, and managed a consultation team for major projects with Indigenous Services Canada.
Michelle has sat and sits on many boards and committees providing Indigenous perspectives to policies and programming. She has a passion for sharing her culture. Michelle actively hosts Indigenous authors book clubs, cultural competency training, community engagement, and cultural workshops.
Ishu Kler is a photographer and Social Media Manager at Veza Global. She currently owns and operates a freelance photography company called Ishu Kler Creative where she specializes in branding, portrait and event photography. Born and raised in Vancouver, B.C., her love and passion for photography led Ishu to travel and live in New Delhi, India, where she obtained her Diploma in Photography. She also travelled to Costa Rica in 2015, where she obtained her Certificate in Documentary Photography from Photographers Without Borders.
Kelsey is a passionate Multimedia Designer & Communications Specialist with a diploma in Multimedia Production and over nine years of diverse design experience in different areas of the world including roles within multinational in-house marketing teams Microsoft and Technetix, marketing agencies and freelance. These experiences have led her to develop strong use of design principles, skills in Adobe Creative Cloud, knowledge in motion graphics and video editing, and knowledge in creating effective communication for a wide range of audiences and cultures.
